Railroad-switch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' J. C. MGLAUGHLIN.

RAILROAD SW'ITOH. I No. 510,144. Patented Dec. 5, 1893.

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2 Sheets-Sheet -2.

(No Model.)

J. O. MOLAUGHLIN.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

Patented Dee;-

HI I I F I I I l I Wifljesseg ml NATIONAL Ln'noqmmmq coMPANY.

WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH o. MOLAUGHLIN, on BRONSON, KANSAS.

RAI LROAD-SWITCH SPECIFICATION torming part of Letters Patent No. 510,144, dated December 5, 1893. Application filed necemieri isezf Seria1No.454.750. (Nomodel-l To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSIAH C. MOLAUGH- LIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Bourbon and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Switch, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

lviyinvention relates to improvements in ra lway switches, the'object of my invention be ng to provide a simple, cheap and efiective switch mechanism which may be operated from the engine or other portion of the train by the engineer or train hands.

It is my object, furthermore, to provide a swltch mechanism which may be operated by hand in the ordinary way, the means whereby the switch is operated by hand being capable of being locked to prevent improper persons from changing the switch ,by means of the lever, without affecting or preventing the adjustment of the switch from the engine ortrain.

Further objects and advantages ofmy invention will appear in the following descriptron, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. y

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, upon line mm of Fig. 1 showng one of the spring treads and the operatlnglever which is carried by the train, the englne being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 shows'a slightly modified form of spring tread in connection with the rocker.

A designates the main-track rails, B the side-track rails, and D the switch-rails, pivoted at d, and arranged at their free ends to align with either the main or siding-track rails. The free ends of the switch-rails are connected for simultaneous movement by the movable tie, O.

E represents a horizontally-disposed, fourarmed bell-crank lever, arranged between the switch-rails, and having one of its arms, a, loosely or pivotally connected to a transverse molvable tie, O, which is secured to the switchrai s.

F represents-a 'verticallydisposed diskshaped rocker, provided at opposite sides with lateral studs, ff, and G G designate springtreads, provided with depending arms, 9 g, which are vertically slotted, as shown at g, to receive the studs, f. These spring-treads are preferably of the semi-elliptical shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but may be terminated at the depending arm,as shown in Fig. 3. The treads being disposed as described, the engine or train, as indicated in Fig. 2, is provided with an operating lever, H, provided at its lower end with an 'antifriction-roll, h, said lever being movable as indicated in dotted lines in said figure, and when arranged 'in the position shown in full lines the tread will be depressed, as the roll passes thereover, and the rocker, will be turned. The rocker is connected, at diametrically opposite points to the opposite side arms, a e, of the bell-crank lever, E, by means of the connecting-bars, K K, whereby as the rocker is turned by the depression of one of the treads the bellcrank lever will be turned.

The connecting-bars, K, each consist of two sections, 10 7c, jointed at their points of connection with the side-arms, cf, of the bellcrank lever, and the sections, k, which extend beyond the bell-crank lever are pivotally connected to the inner or adjacent members of the toggle-arms, L. These togglearms are arranged horizontally, adjacent to the transverse movable tie, C, and comprise the innermembers, Z, and the outer members, Z. The inner members are pivotally connected to a stationary tie or sleeper,M, and the free ends of the outer arms are pivotally connected to the tie, O. The extremities of the connecting-bars adjacent to the togglearms are provided with series of perforations,

- N N, for the reception of the adjustable pivot-bolts, N N, by which the connecting-bars are fulcrumed to the toggle-arms, to permit of the proper adjustment of the connection to insure accurate operation.

0 represents a hand-lever, arranged at one side of the track, in a convenient position to be operated by a switchman, and P represents a connecting-rod, fulcrumed at one end to the remaining arm, 6', of the bell-crank lever, and at the other end provided with a longitudinal slot, 19, for the reception of a depending pin, 10', at the end of thehandlever. Any suitable means for locking this hand-lever may be provided, such as those now in common use, and therefore it has been thought unnecessary to illustrate such means 5 in the drawings. Such locking devices form no part of the present invention.

Q Q represent stop pins, which are arranged in the path of the inner members of the toggle-arms to stop the latter when the switch-rails reach one or the other of the adjusted positions, or reach alignment with either the main or siding track rails.

XVith the parts of my improved switch constructed as above describedythe operation thereof is as follows: As a train approaches the switch, it the latter is not properly set, the engineer or other train hand, lowers the pressureroll which will engage the tread which it is desired to depress. (It will be understood that duplicate operating levers,

H, are employed, one to engage each of the treads.) When the roll carried by the operating-lever engages and depresses the springtread the rocker is turned, the bell-crank le- 2 5 ver is partly rotated, and the toggle-arms are operated, thus moving the movable ties, C and O, in the desired direction and setting the switch-rails. The lateral movement of the switch-rails is limited by the engagement of one of the toggle-arms with one of the stoppins, in which position the toggle-arm which engages the stop-pin is straight, or its members are aligned, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. This position of one of the toggle-arms forms a lock to prevent the jarring of the switch-rails out of position. The slot in the outer end of the connecting rod, P, allows the bell-crank lever to turn independent of the hand-lever, which may be locked to prevent improper persons 0 tampering with the same to change the switch. The slots in the depending arms of the treads allow the latter to resume their normal positions as soon as the pressure of the operating lever is removed.

While I have confined my description to one portion or member of my switch mechanism, namely that portion or member which lies upon one side of the free ends of the swltch-rails, it will be understood that this mechanism, as shown in Fig. 1, is duplicated upon the other side thereof so as to enable the switch to be set by trains approaching in either direction. Furthermore, the shaft, R,

of that rocker which is arranged upon that side of the switch adjacent to the siding track,

is extended laterally and is provided with a duplicate rocker, S, and spring-treads, G,

similar to those above described are connected to said duplicate rocker in a manner similar to the treads G G, whereby a train upon the siding may adjust the switch as it approaches the same.

It will be noted that the number of operating parts of my improved switch is small,

6 5 this being a desideratum for the reason that such mechanisms are liable under the most favorable circumstances to get out of order and refuse to perform their functions, but it will be obvious that the danger of such casualties is reduced as the number of parts of the mechanism is reduced.

The parts are simple and direct-acting, and the toggle-arms form an automatic lock to prevent the disarrangement of the switch by the jarring of the train in passing thereover.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principles or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I propose to use an ordinary signal to indicate the condition of the switch, and as the construction thereof forms no part of my invention, and as the connection with the working parts of the switch will be obvious, I have not considered it of suflicient importance to illustrate it in the drawings or describe it specifically in the specification.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. In a railroad switch, the combination with pivotal switch-rails, of a rocker F, mounted upon a horizontal spindle, bowed spring treads provided with depending arms having longitudinal slots engaging pins upon the rocker, said pins being arranged upon opposite sides of the spindle of the rocker, and operating connections between the rocker and the switch-rails, substantially as specified.

2. In a railroad switch, the combination with pivotal switch rails, of a pair of duplicate toggle levers connected to said switchrails, a rocker, spring treads connected to said rocker and adapted, when depressed, to operate the same, a bell crank lever arranged at a point intermediate between said rocker and the toggle levers, and connections between the rocker and the bell crank lever and between the opposite arms of said lever and the inner members, respectively, of the toggle levers, substantially as specified.

3. In a railroad switch, the combination with the switch-rails, and toggle-arms connected thereto, of a rocker, treads connected to the rocker, a bell-crank lever, a hand-lever connected to said bell-crank lever, and connecting-bars connecting the toggle-arms and bell-crank lever to the rocker, substantially as specified.

4.. In a railroad switch, the combination with the switch-rails connected by transverse movable ties, the toggle-arms connected to one of said ties, the rocker, the treads connected to the rocker, the bell-crank lever arranged between the rooker and the togglearms, the jointed connecting-bars connecting the toggle-arms and the bell-crank lever to the rocker, the hand-lever, and the slotted connecting-rod, connecting the bell-crank lever to the hand-lever, said bell-crank lever having an arm pivotally connected to the other transverse tie, substantially as specified.

5. In a railroad switch, the spring treads G, G, provided with depending slotted arms 9,

and the disk-shaped rocker F, having studs In testimony that I claim the foregoing as f, to engage the slotted arms, the bell crank my own I have hereto affixed my signature in lever E, the toggle levers L, the connecting the presence of two witnesses.

bars K connecting the rocker F, lever E and JOSIAH C. MOLAUGHLIN. 5 toggle levers L, the latter being connected to Witnesses:

the switch rails of the switch, snbstantially GEO. MOLAUGHLIN,

as specified. J. W. COLEMAN. 

